Category: News

News – July 30th, 2019 – Teaching, Filming, and Turning

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Trent Davis

Teaching

I recently got to teach a class on Router basics. Other than it having to be rushed due to the time constraints, it went well. I’ll be converting the documentation for this class into a post on this website, much like I did with my Dado Information class.

I was also working on a beginning woodworking class for Skillshare but life got in the way and I wasn’t able to finish it before the deadline. While making the class, I realized that the subject matter was much too broad for the amount of time I had to put it together. I’m still going to put together some Skillshare classes but I’m going to have them be more focused and less broad.

Filming

I’m working on a video that will walk through how I am making a small 8″ snare drum using stave construction. I filmed Day 1, which ended up covering everything up to the glue-up. As the glue was curing, I started editing the video. That’s where I discovered a pretty big problem.

Lets see if I can explain this…

My snare drum is going to consist of 16 staves. A circle, as you are aware, has 360 degrees. which divided by 16 is 22.5. This amount gets divided by two, since the staves will each have two sides, so each edge needs to have an 11.25 degree bevel.

Still with me?

Now, I use a digital angle gauge. I first square it to the table, then attach it magnetically to the blade. When I do that, it changes from 0-degrees to 90-degrees. This means that when I angle the blade, I need to set it to 90-degrees minus 11.25 degrees. This comes to 78.75 degrees. I knew this, but for some stupid reason (probably because I was distracted with trying to get this on video) I accidentally set it to 79.75 degrees. This makes each edge of each stave one-degree off, which multiplied by 32 edges comes to a total of a 32 degree gap for the drum shell.

Of course, being an idiot I just assumed that the glue was making things too tight so I clamped it down and didn’t think much of how off my measurements were. I didn’t notice the actual problem and its cause until I was editing the video. By this point, the glue had pretty much cured so there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

It’s time to start from scratch, being a little more careful this time.

As a present for you, since you’ve been so patient with me sharing this story, I’ve decided to upload the edit of the video I shot. Keep in mind that it’s a very early update. I was leaving room for a voice-over in parts so some of the shots are too long since I was going to edit in the voice-over then cut as the video to work with the audio.

Turning

I’ve been doing a good amount of woodturning lately and I’ve been getting into bowl-making, which although I’ve been turning for years, I never really got into. Below are some examples of my turning experiments.

One downside to bowl-turning is that I really don’t have anything to do with these. I don’t have a desire to place decorative wooden bowls around my house and most of these don’t have a food-safe finish so they’re not really functional. This is why I wasn’t really interested in bowl-turning in the first place. I like that I’m learning some new techniques but I suspect that I won’t be making a whole lot more bowls.

News – March 18th, 2019 – New Studio Desk, New Dust Collector, and New Friends

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Trent DavisOne Comment

New Recording Studio Desk

As you may know, I recently sold my old studio desk. It worked well but was just too big and ended up not fitting my needs as well as I thought it would. It now has a new loving home in another recording studio. My new one is much simpler and will be more portable and easier to move around the studio. I’m also keeping the rack separate so I can wheel it closer to the drums so I can adjust levels from behind the kit.

The rack on the desk (right under the monitors) won’t be added until later. I’m going to see if I like having the open space first and decide if I even want to incorporate that. I like the idea of a cleaner, simpler workspace.

As you can see, the old desk was pretty big, but it had three different equipment racks which kept things pretty much all contained. The entire desk could be wheeled around and the only cables coming out of it (besides for musical equipment) was a single power cable and an ethernet cable.

The new one is very similar in design. At this point I’ve got it ready to stain and finish before assembly.

This one is going to also have tougher casters since the old ones couldn’t hand;e the weight and got flat spots on them as a result.

New Dust Collector

I sold my old dust collector and got the smaller wall-mount version seen in the above picture. My goal for the year is to make room in my shop. The first step was to build the cymbal cart. Next was getting a different dust collector.

My old dust collector (seen here) had a chip separator as well. I loved having the chip separator but it took up so much room. I ended up selling to someone which brings me to my next point…

New Friends

The person I sold my old dust collector to is Cindy over at https://stur-dycustomcraft.com/ . She’s got a great little shop that is growing quickly and needs some good dust collection before things start getting too messy.

I’ve also made some friends online through the SawStop Users’ Group, over on FaceBook.

I even met a bandmate because his son had a finger save on a SawStop. I met him at Rockler and we eventually got talking about music. It turns out he lives really close to me and plays keyboard and guitar.

My favorite part of my job is meeting new people, many of which have become friends. I find that woodworkers love to share with each other. I’ve learned from so many great people who have been generous with their time and knowledge. It makes me happy to be able to pay that back by doing the same for others. We’re all learning, and we never stop learning.

If you have any questions or just want to talk shop, feel free to contact me through any of the social media links located somewhere on this page (I tend to move them around).

News – March 6th, 2019 – Cymbal Cart, Lathe Bed Extension, and YouTube Videos

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Trent Davis

I finished the cymbal cart

The cymbal cart is finally complete. It holds all of my cracked cymbals and has freed up a lot of floor space in my shop. This was a fun project and was great welding practice. I realized that I still have a long way to go until I can consider myself a good welder. This means that I have a lot of good things to learn. It’s pretty exciting, actually.

Lathe Bed Extension

I just installed the bed extension for my Nova Comet II lathe. I can now turn something up to 41-1/4″ in length. I intend to make a number of rainsticks and tube toms with this configuration. The cool – and slightly ridiculous – thing is that I can add another bed extension if I want to. In fact, I can keep adding them as far as I want. I guess that would come in handy if I wanted to turn a telephone pole or an alphorn. You laugh but I just might make an alphorn.

New clips on YouTube

I got a good opportunity to record the other day but I didn’t have anything in particular that I needed to get recorded. Instead, I just played. I put down about 8 minutes straight of brushwork to use for the backing track for YouTube videos then I played a series of short beats for stinger music.

The video above is one stinger beat that I particularly liked because I got to play around with my chime cymbals a bit. If you’re interested in what a 12″ Sabian Glennie’s Garbage sounds like, that’s the last cymbal that I hit.

The next video is part of an eight-minute improv brush performance that I’m going to add bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, and percussion to. The end result will be an eight-minute background track for some of my YouTube videos that I’m working on.

News – February 11th, 2019 – Cymbal Cart, Wood Paste, New Docs, Studio Desk, and Router Table Article

Trent Davis

Progress on the Cymbal Cart

I got the cymbal cart all welded together. I just need to clean it up by grinding down the welds, protect the steel so it doesn’t rust, and attach some non-slip material to the bars so the cymbals don’t slide all over the place.

I should probably state that I really suck at welding, but projects like this are good practice and force me to get better.

Trying out some new products

At the suggestion of Gord Rock, I am going to be trying some of Ack’s Abrasive Sanding Paste and Polish/Restoring Paste. From what I’ve seen online, it seems to work really well.

My shop is in disarray right now due to the cymbal cart project so I can’t do any woodturning for a few days. I’ll be sure to write up a review after I run it through its paces.

Gord Rock

https://ackswoodpaste.com/

New Doc Martens!

My black Docs have finally retired after two and a half years of constant abuse. I got a new pair of Navy Docs and for the very first time in my life a pair of Docs doesn’t need any breaking in. I’m used to spending a few months painfully wearing a new pair of Docs for a few hours a day until they are finally comfortable enough to wear all day. I put these on and they’re perfect right out of the box!

No More Studio Desk

I have gotten rid of my studio desk after much debate. I really liked it but it was just too big and I didn’t end up using it the way I had hoped I would. I’m replacing it with a new desk with a separate rolling rack for all my gear. I’m looking to make something much more compact and portable. I’m still in the designing phase now but I’ll post some updates here soon.

If you aren’t familiar with my studio desk, below are the articles showing how I put it all together

Router Table Article

Due to the popularity of my Choosing a SawStop – Contractor Vs. Professional article, I have begun writing up an article that covers the SawStop router table options, including any incompatibilities you may run into. I hope to have this article out in the following week or two.

News – January 22nd, 2019 – Woodworkers Journal Interview, SawStop Articles, and Video Progress

Trent Davis

Woodworker’s Journal Interview

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/trent-davis/

I was recently interviewed for Woodworkers Journal’s Today’s Woodworker feature. The article can be viewed at the link above.

If you’ve ever been curious as to how I got started doing what I do, it might prove to be an interesting read.

Choosing a SawStop Article

https://www.trentdavis.net/wp/2019/01/18/choosing-a-sawstop-contractor-vs-professional/

I have finally completed the first article in my Choosing a SawStop series of articles. This one covers the differences between the SawStop Contractor Saw and the Professional Saw.

My next article will cover the differences between the Professional Saw and the Industrial Saw.

After that I will cover the differences between the JobSite Saw and the Contractor Saw.

YouTube Video Progress

I’ve been working on another YouTube video where I show how I’m building a cart out of angle-iron for holding a bunch of cracked cymbals.

Since the angle-iron I’m using is powder-coated, I want to remove all that so I have some good clean metal to work with.

The photo to the right shows the effects of Rust-Oleum Aircraft Remover after sitting on the powder-coating for about 15 minutes. As you can see, the powder-coating is basically dissolving, allowing it to be scraped off easily.

News – December 13th, 2018 – Lots of Updates

Trent Davis

New Welder

I traded in my Harbor Freight 110 volt welder for an old Forney 220 volt one.  It’s old, heavy, and almost too powerful.  I’m still getting the hang of it but so far I am really enjoying it and I’m looking forward to how this can help out with my projects.

New Lathe

I upgraded my Excelsior mini lathe to a Nova Comet II.  It’s a minor step up in quality and capabilities and will in no way be the last lathe I ever buy, but for the time being it will allow me to do things I couldn’t do before, such as fluting and turning 12″ diameter bowls and vessels.

Cymbal Rack

Using my new welder I am going to make a rolling cart for all of my cracked cymbals.  These cymbals are currently in five separate stacks in my shop taking up valuable space and causing a tripping hazard.  This rolling cart will allow me to get comfortable with my new welder and get these cymbals off the floor.  It will also be easier to sort through them when they are stored vertically on shelves rather than horizontally in stacks.

Now, you may ask “Why does he have so many cracked cymbals”?  Good question…

Getting my Cymbal Rescue going

For years I have been collecting cracked cymbals, usually buying them for cheap, then cutting them down to usable sizes and either incorporating them into my kit or donating them to schools or beginning drummers.  I refer to this as my Cymbal Rescue.

It’s time to get the operation into full(er) swing.  With a decent welder in my arsenal, I can make a cymbal lathe that will allow me to not only cut the cymbals down but make them thinner as well which is necessary for achieving certain sounds.

Other Minor Updates

I’m still working on some YouTube videos and I’m also developing my next book.  The shop is going through some major renovations and I’m just trying to get through the holidays in one piece.

I’m expecting to have some major updates early next year.

News – October 29th, 2018 – Light Grid

Trent Davis

I Finished the Light Grid!

My hatred for tripods has driven me to build a light grid for my shop.

The light grid was built from 3/4″ metal conduit and electrical junction boxes.  I added outlets to nine of the junction boxes, three of them with USB connections.

I still have a little tweaking to do.  Some of the vertical threaded rods are hanging at an angle so they need to be re positioned.  I’m also going to add some support to the sides of the grid so it doesn’t rock at all.

This grid will allow me to mount lights as well as microphones and cameras and more-easily  position them wherever I need them.  I also have six of the nine outlets controlled with a light switch allowing for easy switching of all the lights on or off.

I created a quick mock-up of how the lights and cameras might be attached.  In this photo I’ve got two LED lights aimed at the bandsaw, and two action cameras (similar to a GoPro) mounted on telescoping microphone stands.  This allows me to get the cameras right in there next to the blade while not causing me to modify the way I work in the slightest because of some bulky tripod legs.

I’m working on a video documenting how and why I created the light grid.  I’ll also be adding components to it as well, such as a jib for positioning a camera and some tracks for panning the camera around.

News – October 15th, 2018 – YouTube Videos, Upcoming Articles, and General Shop Updates

Trent Davis


Making Progress on YouTube Videos

I’m currently working on three videos.  

The first one is just a test video showing the turning of a wooden bowl.  I’m taking my time with it so I can try different things and see what works and what doesn’t.  I’m currently in the editing phase on this one.  

The second is on the construction of a light grid (see below).  I’m still in the filming stages of this.  

The third is going to show the construction of a musical instrument of some sort.  I’m still in the early planning stages of this one and the details will probably change.


Building a Light Grid

Since I’m making videos in my shop I decided to build a light grid.  I’m making it out of electrical conduit and junction boxes and I’m putting in electrical outlets at some of the junction boxes.  I’m making a video of the construction of it as well.

Upcoming SawStop Articles

I’m working on a series of articles that are focused on choosing the right SawStop for your application.  I will be covering some of the more common questions I hear such as the difference between the Professional and the Industrial saws and the benefits of 3 HP over 5 HP.  I’m hoping to have these articles done soon in order to aid in Christmas tool shopping.

News – September 13th, 2018 – Woodturning Video, Keruing, and Macro-Photography

Trent Davis


I got Some Keruing to Make Drums With

I found someone on Facebook Marketplace who sells Keruing strips to use as drying stickers, or spacers.  I’ve never used Keruing before but the price was right so I’m going to give it a shot.

One thing I noticed is that I got a sliver from one of the Keruing sticks and it got really infected quickly and started to swell up.  I don’t think this is the type of wood that you have to be careful with in regards to allergens so I’m not too worried but still, it was surprising.

She also has some eight-foot sticks of laminated Keruing that I decided to try messing with.  I don’t know what I’ll do with them, especially since they seem way too light for how big they are.  I figured I would get a few and see what they’re like.

I Started Shooting My First Woodworking YouTube Video

I finally started to make a woodworking video.  This isn’t one that I’m going to share (most-likely).  It’s more just an exploratory video so I can see what all is involved and hopefully iron out the kinks before I start making real videos.

The video chronicles the creation of a bowl from start to finish.

This is a still from the video.  The video is now over 25 minutes and I’m not even done.  I’m going to try to edit that down to about 5 – 8 minutes then add music and narration, graphics, titles, and whatever else is needed.  Again, this is just a test video but I might make it public when it’s complete.

Macro Photography

My daughter Maisie and I were playing around with macro-photography last night.  I’m not that good at it yet but it was fun to try to take photos of her cat Cheeto.

Mexican Ebony
Contour Gauge
Threaded Hole in Purpleheart
0000 Steel Wool
Suede Welding Glove
Sabian HHX China Kang Cymbal
Cheeto’s Side
Cheeto’s Eye

News – September 4th, 2018 – Live Performance and Woodturning

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Trent Davis


Live Performance with Cody Weathers

I got to perform with Cody Weathers and The Men Your Mama Warned You About this past weekend.  This is only the second time I’ve sat in with them, the last time being almost a year ago.

I felt that the show went well.  I didn’t have time to do a rehearsal and I wasn’t that familiar with the songs but we got through them without any major problems.  Cody is the singer/songwriter and usually plays drums.  The guitarist was unable to perform so Cody asked me to fill in on drums so he could switch to guitar.

The music is sort of a Dave Matthews meets Ella Fitzgerald in that it is slightly funky rock with scat vocals mixed in.  It’s a lot of fun to play.  

I’ve included recordings for seven of the eight songs we played below.  Keep in mind that I was very unfamiliar with the songs so be gentle in your criticisms.

At First Sight
Mad About You
Deep
Catnip
Puppy
Thin
Dead Man’s Blues

For those that are interested, here is a list of the gear I used during this show:

Drums (Premier XPK)

  • 14″ X 20″ Kick
  • 5-1/2″ X 14 Wood Snare
  • 14″ X 14″ Floor Tom
  • 4 X 6″ Tama Mini-Timbale

Cymbals

  • 13″ Sabian AAX Studio Hats
  • 16″ Sabian AAX Studio Crash
  • 12″ Sabian Glennie’s Garbage
  • 10″ Custom Wuhan China Crash
  • 12″ Custom Wuhan China Crash
  • 21″ Sabian AA Raw Bell Dry Ride
  • 22″ Sabian Omni
  • 13 different custom chime cymbals

The two custom Wuhan china crashes and the 13 custom chime cymbals are all ones that I made myself by modifying cracked cymbals.  You can see my process for modifying them in the article on Cutting Down a Pair of Wuhans.  This isn’t the exact cymbals that I used for this show but it shows my process for making custom cymbals.  You can hear them in the recordings since I play them quite a bit.  The Wuhans have a very trashy hiss-like sound and the chimes are … well … chimey.

Finally Turned a Few Bowls

I’ve had a lathe for years but never had an interest in turning vessels (cups, bowls, vases, etc…).  I finally decided to give it a try this past weekend and I have to say that I’m hooked.  I don’t really have the right tools to pull this off easily but I’m getting the hang of it anyhow.

In the process I got to be familiar with Howard’s Beeswax & Orange Oil finish.  I was introduced to this through the videos of Carl Jacobson.  If you haven’t checked out his videos then I very highly recommend you do.  He is one of the nicest, coolest guys you’ll ever meet and his woodturning is amazing.  

I had previously used Hut Crystal Coat with generally positive results.  I think I’m more satisfied with the finish of the Howard’s since it has a more silky feel to it.

From this…
…to this.

It’s kind of difficult to tell but the piece pictured here is pretty small.  I went digging through my box of turning stock and found a piece of (what I believe is) bubinga.  It was pretty small, too small to use the Nova chuck to hold it.  I got to use my cole jaws which could just barely hold it securely.  I like the way it turned out.